Spectres (MR)
|government=*Citadel Council *Interstellar Republic |organization=Office of Special Tactics and Reconnaissance |position_type=Non-military, non-political |term_length=Varies, typically lifetime appointment |powers=*Complete immunity within Citadel space *Answerable only to the Citadel Council (until 2187) *Answerable only to the First Minister (since 2187) |duties=*Protect galactic peace and stability at any cost *Execution of the Citadel Council's will (until 2187) *Apprehend or eliminate potential threats by any means necessary *Execution of the First Minister's will (since 2187) |era(s)= era era era era Post-Reaper War era }} Spectres are elite agents from the Office of Special Tactics and Reconnaissance, a branch of the Citadel Council as well as its successor, the Interstellar Republic. Each Spectres are handpicked from various Council races and are granted the authority to deal with threats to galactic peace and stability in whatever way they deem necessary, including the power of life and death over the inhabitants of the Milky Way Galaxy. They operate independently or in groups of two or three. Some are empathetic peacekeepers, resolving disputes through diplomacy. Others are cold-blooded assassins, ruthlessly dispatching problem individuals. All get the job done, one way or another, often operating outside of the bounds of galactic law. The Spectres were founded after the salarians joined the Council. For many years, they operated in secrecy, as back-room "problem solvers". Only after the Krogan Rebellions did their activities become publicized. Assignment of a Spectre is less contentious than military deployment, but makes it clear that the Council is concerned about a situation. Background The Office of Special Tactics and Reconnaissance branch was founded in 693 CE, shortly before the Krogan Rebellions began, at a time when the Council was uneasy about the unchecked expansion of the krogan into Citadel space. The Spectres were chosen from the finest salarian Special Tasks Group operatives and asari huntresses, intended to function partly in an observational capacity, but also as the Council's first line of defense. When the krogan finally turned against the Citadel, the Spectres were ready for them, using guerrilla tactics such as computer viruses and devastating sabotage to slow the krogan down before the turians joined the conflict. For years the activities of the Spectres were a Council secret, but their role was made public after the Krogan Rebellions were over. All records of the Spectres are sealed and only granted access with permission of the Council. It is not even clear how many there are: Alliance intelligence estimates that there are fewer than a hundred. Each Spectre is hand-picked by the Council after proving that they are an individual of exceptional ability and self-reliance. In theory Spectres can be chosen from any race; in practice they are usually selected from the Council races. Having a Spectre chosen from their kind often raises a particular species' profile on the Citadel. Many alien races have been part of the Citadel for centuries without a Spectre being chosen from their ranks. Alliance Ambassador Anita Goyle and later her successor Donnel Udina were both desperate to get a human into the Spectres, as this would be the first step toward humanity gaining a seat on the Council. The first possible candidate was David Anderson, but his observer, Saren Arterius, sabotaged the evaluation, falsifying his report to make Anderson look responsible for casualties caused by Saren's own ruthless tactics during the mission. After Saren submitted his report, the Council refused Anderson entry into the Spectres. The second candidate was Commander John Shepard, whose outing of Saren as a renegade Spectre results in his induction into the Spectre ranks. This event happens before humanity attains its Council seat following Saren's attack on the Citadel a short while later. In the last thousand years only two people have turned down an offer to become a Spectre, both of whom were asari matriarchs. Organization Spectres have no command structure. They answer only to the Council, and in some cases the Council prefers not to know the exact details of how a Spectre accomplishes their mission. Spectres act in any way they see fit, either with careful diplomacy or ruthless force, being officially above any law. Some people, like Executor Venari Pallin, see Spectres as a potential risk because they are not constrained by the law, while others are in awe of them; Officer Eddie Lang mentions Spectres on vids are portrayed as super-agents always on some mission to save the galaxy. The assignment of a Spectre is often less contentious than a military deployment, but shows that the Council is aware of a situation. Candidates for the Spectres typically have years of military or law enforcement experience before even being considered. The screening process involves background checks, psychological evaluations, and a long period of field training under an experienced mentor. Because of the rigorous selection process, Spectres might sometimes use unorthodox methods but they rarely go rogue. When it does happen, the only solution is to revoke their status, then send another Spectre after them. No one else would be up to the job. The Spectres were modeled upon the salarian STG; granted supralegal authority instead of subordinate to common law, declared exempt from oversight instead of based within a command structure, and selected in recognition of a history of superior capability instead of trained. The STG is fully funded by the salarian government, however, as opposed to the financial independence expected of Spectres. Spectres, however, can be stripped of their status once they have gone rogue or are declared legally deceased. They have to be reinstated in once proof of living (e.g. appearing in person and passing biometric checks) is presented. Trivia *Mordin Solus states that during his service with the STG they "Didn't have to buy our own weapons," a joke referring to Shepard having to purchase the squad's equipment with personal funds. *Blasto, "the first hanar Spectre", is a popular fictional Spectre referenced in the background from time to time. Category:MarkRulez711 Category:Articles by MarkRulez711 Category:Organizations Category:Spectre Category:Citadel Council Category:Interstellar Republic